Holden makes use of augmented reality provided by University of South Australia
Australia’s Holden Vehicle Operations, a subsidiary of General Motors, has teamed with the University of South Australia to make use of a new augmented reality system that will help train new workers. Holden has taken note of the potential savings it could see through utilizing an automated, high-tech training system that is equipped with augmented reality. A team of developers from the University of South Australia have crafted the system specifically for Holden, making the manufacturing company one of the very first in its industry to make use of the technology.
Augmented reality beginning to see practical use
Augmented reality is often used in advertising because of its capability to engage consumers with mobile devices. The technology is capable of enhancing the real world with digital content, which can range anywhere from video to simple text. Many companies around the world are becoming enthralled with the prospects of augmented reality in marketing, but Holden believes that the technology can have a more practical use and plans to put this belief to the test.
System to provide new workers with detailed training
The augmented reality system will provide new workers with digital tutorials concerning the manufacturing processes they will be involved in. Two projectors housed in a simple enclosure will be responsible for painting digital displays over the real world environment. These displays will provide trainees with contextual information that is expected to assist in the learning of their profession. The system is considered safer than traditional training methods, which had given inexperienced workers hands-on training with equipment they did not yet understand how to use.
Augmented reality could save Holden some money
Along with creating a safer atmosphere for trainees, Holden expects that the augmented reality system will held drive down the costs associated with training new workers. Because trainees will not be handling equipment they are unfamiliar with, Holden is reducing its exposure to financial loss if an accident were to occur. The system also reduces the need for personnel to devote extensive amounts of time to the training of an individual, allowing experienced workers to keep their productivity high while trainees make use of the detailed augmented reality system.
Web merchants may be starting to feel the need to embrace mobile commerce
Mobile payments are rapidly gaining the adoration of consumers around the world. Being able to make purchases for goods and services without using any kind of physical currency is considered to be both convenient and straightforward. For consumers, the advent of mobile commerce simply means a new way to pay for the things they want. The rise of the mobile commerce industry could mean something else entirely for online businesses that rely on the Internet and electronic mediums to serve customers.
Evolution of the Internet brings about significant changes to global market
When the Internet was young, web merchants used to cater only to the most tech-savvy of consumers. Now that everyone seems to have an intimate familiarity with the Internet, web merchants have had to adapt to appeal to a wider, more varied audience. Mobile commerce is the latest challenge that web merchants will have to adapt to or risk being left behind by consumers, lost in the ever growing tide of competition.
Web merchants have flexibility in mobile commerce pursuits
Web merchants have a variety of ways they can approach the issue of mobile commerce, but the vast majority of these approaches rely on NFC technology. Platforms like Google Wallet and the imminent Isis enable consumers to make payments using their smart phones, but businesses must be equipped to facilitate such transactions. Web merchants have some flexibility in the platforms they choose to support because they are not limited to physical technology, such as NFC terminals. This flexibility allows merchants to engage consumers who favor various types of mobile commerce platforms.
Platforms could be ideal for reaching out to consumers
Web merchants embracing mobile commerce will likely find NFC-based platforms ideal for marketing new products, discounts, and loyalty programs. Such initiatives can ensure repeat business, especially if consumers are treated with a memorable and well-crafted experience. Despite the benefits that mobile commerce can bring to web merchants, however, some businesses are expected to see more success in their endeavors than others. Whether mobile commerce is the best option for web merchants in an evolving world market is difficult to say for sure.
